Mercury-vapor boiler



-Feb- 17, 1931- w; E. T'RENT I `MERCURY VAPOR BOILER Filed May 2, 1928 Mfr/4L Werff@ y Mikel/@y QQMQM M SQMM SH01 um! i Patented Feb. v1?, 1931,

Tes PATENT .orifice 'WALTER E. TMNT, OF

New wenn, N. Y., .essrenon 'ro @ne frituur Pnocnssconroen- Tron, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE MERCURY-'VAPOR BOILER Application lled Hay 2,

This invention relates toa method of, and means for, increasing the eiiiciency of mercury-vapor boilers, and more particularly to a method of so treating the surfaces of the boiler that mercury will wet these surfaces.

An object of this invention is to provide means that will secure a better heat transfer o the mercury than has4 hitherto been possi- A further object is to.l prepare a boiler surface of a type that will be wetted by mercur yther objects which I have attainedwill appear as the description proceeds.

Mercury vapor is becoming increasingly tardation of heat transfer between the boiler tubes and the liquid thereby decreasing the efficiency of the boiler.

If, however, all parts of the boiler which come in contact with mercury are formed of a substance which is wetted by mercury, it can readily be seen that the heat conductivity will be much increased Aand the eiiiciency of the boiler cdrrespondingly raised.

invention embraces the coating of the steel or iron surfaces with any substance which is wetted by mercury, and is stable under the temperature and pressure conditions prevailing in a mercury boiler. Chief among these substances are the metals and alloys, practically all of which aside from the ferrous group, are so wetted. More specifically, I contemplate the use ofsilver to attain the desired end, although by no means limiting myself to this metal.

The silver, or other metal, can be applied in any desired fashion; thus, the surfaces might be electroplated; the metal might be vapplied by chemical reduction, similar to the silvering of mirrors; a lining or shell of the metal might be 4prepared and fitted to 1928. Serial No. 274,678.

boiler through which it .is not desired to transfer heat, particularly any such surfaces which may come in contact with mercury in llquid, form.

` Itis not even necessary'that the metalto be wetted be applied t a steel or iron base.- The .boiler tubes themselves may be constructed entirely of the metal or alloy which has been selected provided such metal possesses the requisite strength and other properties required of a metal to be used in forming a boiler. An im ortant advantage of 'l such a construction might, bycareful selec-I tion of materials, be found in the intrinsic heat conductivity of the metal or alloy chosen. Thus while iron has a heat conductlvity in the neighborhoodcof 0.15, the coni ductivity of silver is approximately 1.0. Other'metals and alloys would be useful in this connection in proportion to their heat conductivities.

In the accompanying drawing, the singlev a coating C of any substance which is wetted by mercury, such as silver, as above described. By 'reason of this coating, the transfer of heat from the exterior of lustrumentality B to the mercury therein will be increased and the efficiency. of the boiler correspondingly raised.

It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to a metal of any particular heat conductivity; my principal object, wetting of the surface by mercury, being attained irrespective of this factor.

It is to be further understood that I do not limit myself exclusively to the use of metals; any substance which is wetted by mercury is contemplated as comprised in m'y invention, which is to be considered as limited meegree only by the prior state of the art and the` appended claims.

I claim:

l. The method of increasing the rate of heat transfer of a mercury Vapor boiler which comprises surfacing the interior of the boiler with a substance which is wetted by mercury.

2. The method of facilitating the rate of heat transfer of a mercury vapor boiler which comprises surfacing all parts exposed to mercurywith a metallic, substance which is wetted by mercury. A

3. The method of facilitating the rate of heat transfer of a mercury Vapor boiler which comprises surfacing all parts exposed to mercury with a metal which is wetted by i mercury.

4. The method of facilitating the rate of heat transfer of a. mercury Yapor boiler which comprises surfacing all parts exposed to mercury with a non-ferrous metal which is wetted by mercury.

5. The method of facilitating the rate of heat transfer/of a mercury vapor boiler which comprises surfacing with silver all parts which come in Contact with the mercury.

6. In a mercury vapor boiler7 heating surfaces composed of a substance which is wetted by mercury at allpoints which come in contact with mercury.

7. In a mercury Vapor boiler, heating sur-- faces composed of a metallic substance which is wetted by mercury at points exposed to mercury.

8. In a mercury vapor boiler, heating surfaces composed of silver at all points which come in Contact with mercury.

9. In a mercury vapor boiler, heating surfaces coated at points exposed to mercury with a non-ferrous metal which is wetted by mercury. v

10. In a mercury vapor boiler heating surfaces plated with silver at points exposed to mercury.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 28th day of April, 192e.

WALTER E. TRENT. 

